One might think that an individual who thinks about an empire that has been “dead” for nearly 1500 years is a bit strange. Why would anyone care about a dead empire, after all? The reason why it’s funny is because of how common people say they do think about the Roman empire (which for me is also quite often). It’s subverting expectations— you think no one thinks about the Empire— in reality, all of your family and neighbors do think about the Empire on a regular basis.

> Why would anyone care about a dead empire, after all?

Because it isn't dead culturally.

When you see a medieval castle you think about medieval things, when you see Roman architecture you think of Roman things, and since you see Roman architecture all the time in the news, like every time they show the white house etc, it makes sense your brain thinks about the Romans now and then.

See also: the Pope and the Catholic Church.

The question was rhetorical. And the article does go into detail about why people like Roman things-and-stuff.

For me, it's because it's true. I really do think about the roman empire all the time! and my wife couldn't believe it.

Most "trends" from TikTok are made up, stupid, fake, or highly exaggerated. This one is funny because it's actually kinda true for a LOT of people, and has nothing to do with TikTok.

Is it really that strange that people think about the Roman empire when things related to it are all around us? Even the white house is built to look Roman. Not to mention all the documentaries and games that touches on Roman stuff.

If you ask men how often they think about different manufacturing processes you will probably get similar numbers, or even higher, for the same reason.

I don't think it's funny because it's "strange". It's funny because it reminds people that they can have very different inner worlds to people they share their life with.

But people already know that? Everyone knows men and women think about very different things.

But I guess it is similar to the old meme where a woman worries why the guy is so distant that day and if he doesn't like her any longer, and the guy is just thinking hard about why his motorcycle isn't starting.

But that explains it: it is funny the first time you see it, but these differences aren't funny when you already are aware of them. Everything is a first to people. So I don't find it funny since I have seen similar things many times before and have grown tired of it, while others here finds it funny since it is new to them.

I find it interesting but for the diversity of “why”

I have an Italian American friend who weirdly into the Roman Empire, kind of in a weeb kind of way but he’s a tatted up (Roman Republic full back piece!) Army veteran who would Kimura my ass if I he sees this.

I have a friend just nerdy as shit and into history. He constantly talks about this podcast or that.

I have an ex-roommate / philosophy major, so it comes up a good bit.

I have a friend into Stoicism. Oddly not a philosophy major.

I have a friend rich in small arms, ammunition, and those rice ration buckets because we’re destined for a failure of the Republic as they had.

I have a friend with the same belief, except he just wants to fiddle so I’m pretty sure I won’t bother raiding his house if either of them are correct.

I think people find it humorous because it's an unexpected instance of sexual dimorphism. Like a "Men are from Mars [not Ares]" kind of thing.

Since when is making fun of sexual dimorphism a thing? I thought we stopped doing that.

Like, would it be funny if men asked women how often they think about celebrity relationships and drama? People just think about different things.

Maybe nerds on the internet stopped doing that but plenty of my coworkers and people I meet in everyday life aren’t competing for “woke” points.

The other day I was in a party with my wife and my friends. In some moment, we (all men) were in a corner talking about comics, movies, sports. My wife was sitting nearby, and she could hear us for 30 minutes straight talking about the same topics. At the end of the party, she asked me how were my friends' kids, jobs and family. I had no clue. She laughed at me and said "Typical men. We women always ask for the family, the school, the kids, the life of her friends, you boys talk for hours and know nothing new about your friends".

Is it typical? I don't know.

>> would it be funny if men asked women how often they think about celebrity relationships and drama?

No, that would be completely unsurprising to most men. Not funny. It would need to be something obvious to women and surprising to men, and surprising to women that it wasn't obvious to men. Then, yes it would be funny.

> Since when is making fun of sexual dimorphism a thing?

Since at least the days of the Roman Empire!

> I thought we stopped doing that.

Hollywood would love you to think so, but no, human nature is unchanging. This trend is huge exactly because it reminds us that men and women are different, and humans have derived humor from that fact since the dawn of time.

For at least 4000 years... there's actually an old Sumerian joke about how men and women flatulate differently (IIRC it's not based on physical differences but on cultural expectations for men vs women).

In the time since then you may have stopped thinking about sex/gender differences, but most people haven't.

I personally wouldn't find your proposal funny, but it might be more well received if you asked men vs women a question like "How often do you think about Taylor Swift's relationship with John Meyer?". That would probably get more views on your tiktoks. IMO part of the humor is that women are so surprised that men frequently think about the Roman Empire [and republic], but for the men it's a matter of course.

One girl learning her dad and boyfriend are both history geeks who think about the Roman Empire all the time is not funny.

Hundreds of thousands of women realizing that unbeknownst to them ALL the men in their lives secretly think about the Roman Empire all the time is hilarious.

Of course, the more specific this phenomenon is, the funnier it is: all men think about history isn't fun. All men are thinking about the Roman Empire is pretty funny. All men are thinking about Pliny the Elder and none of the women in their lives had any idea much funnier.

This is classic benign violation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theories_of_humor#Benign_viola... The reason I think its a hit because it scales and its totally silly/fun/harmless, relatable beyond expectations, and a welcome distraction to the usual hellscape that is the internet in 2023.

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So the next question is why is it happening, and I have two theories for this:

1. History is stranger than fiction. There's a lot of history geeks out there and there always have been. See stereotype about dads reading WWII books.

2. The Roman Empire is a gateway drug to history for a lot of people. And why not? It's a fascinating period full of whacky characters, and there's been so many movies/shows/plays/games about it that you probably already know enough to dive in and generally know to expect some togas and a dude shouting "I'm Spartacus."

Thanks, that explains it even better! Basically many women all over the world realized this 'weird' thing now together and that shared experience creates something magical.